


Don't Rock The Cradle

by DarkCorgi



Series: Don't Rock the Cradle [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Mpreg, Romance, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-07-01
Updated: 2004-07-01
Packaged: 2018-09-27 21:17:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10050473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkCorgi/pseuds/DarkCorgi
Summary: Summary: Severus must acknowledge that Harry and the child he carries are his before the Minstry tries to take him away.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from SeparatriX, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [HP Fandom](http://fanlore.org/wiki/HP_Fandom_\(archive\)), which was closed for health and financial reasons. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [HP Fandom collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hpfandom/profile).

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I make no money for this and am only borrowing them since she writes too slowly.  
Note: Part of the fifth wave of the Dusk 'til Dawn Harry Potter/Severus Snape Fuh-Q Fest at www.kardasi.com. The story consists of the left over challenge I had from wave four first line challenge: 'When Harry fell off his broom at such a great height, Severus' heart nearly stopped in his chest', scenario # 131: An MPREG scenario – Harry gets pregnant and Severus has to confess publicly to quash the rumours flying around the school and save Harry's reputation, (Melodysatin), and the 10,000 word limit challenge.  
Homepage: www.livejournal/users/goldpemcorgi  
A/N: There's not much to say…. My muse was in ramble mode for this.  
Beta: Much thanks to the goddess of the lightening fast beta, Katie (netgirl@popullus.net) for her correction of my clueless comma use.

**Don't Rock The Cradle**

When Harry fell off his broom at such a great height, Severus' heart nearly stopped in his chest. The young man looked as if he was falling in slow motion due to Severus' near panic. Severus was frozen in fear; something that hadn't happened in two decades. He couldn't help the others nearby as they desperately tried to slow the young wizard's fall. No one knew who had cast the curse that blew his broom apart - most of the Death Eaters that stormed the school were already dead or captured by the time Harry killed the Dark Lord. Everyone that scrambled to Harry's rescue couldn't stop his descent, but they managed to slow it some. Harry impacted upon the cold hard ground with a crack. All Severus could do was curl himself into ball and wait for the echoed pain to pass.

 

As the pain Severus felt through his bond with Harry surged through his body, all he could do was watch as McGonagall and Sinistra conjured a stretcher and escorted Harry's broken body to the Hospital Wing. Pieces of Harry's shattered broom fell all over the field as the shocked students headed back to their common rooms. Locked into his role as he was, he could not rush to the Hospital Wing to be with Harry – they had gone to too many lengths to hide their relationship as it was – instead, he went to his quarters as soon as the pain he shared with Harry ebbed enough for him to move. 

 

Severus couldn't remember the walk to his rooms; his thoughts were completely centered on Harry's plight. He sorted through the pain he was sharing because of the bond and tried to categorize where the younger man's injuries were located, but he couldn't concentrate enough to do that small task. His mind ran in circles, panicking about losing the only person, besides Albus, that he had let into his heart. He tried to pull himself together and settled on handing out detentions and subtracting house points from any student in his path. Severus reached his quarters after scattering groups of students to their four corners of the school. He seated himself in his chair by the fire and poured himself a drink, doing his best not to look at the empty chair next to his, and knowing whatever negative feelings he had about the situation would feed back on their bond and hamper the younger man's recovery.

 

Severus nursed his drink and pondered his relationship with one Harry Potter. It all started because Albus forced the two to work together, especially after the boy wonder of Gryffindor apologized for violating his pensieve. At first all they could do was argue. Slowly the assumptions and preconceived notions wore away as they worked together during Harry's 6th year, leaving only their true core beings exposed to the other. Friendship became something deeper as the year of Defence lessons went on. By the end of the school year Severus could admit, only to himself of course, that he'd fallen in love with Harry. He knew they younger man felt something akin to love, but knowing teens as well as he did, Severus believed it was nothing more than a crush; something short-lived but intense. 

 

Then Severus met the Muggles. He was assigned to retrieve Harry from his relative's house for an Order meeting and the first thing he encountered when he knocked on the front door was a whale-sized teenager. When he told the obese child he was there to retrieve Harry, the aforementioned teen slammed the door in his face and shouted 'Dad, there's one of those freaks at the door'. Severus had not appreciated being referred to as a freak, but before he could become too aggravated, the door opened again to show a purple-faced fat man. Severus once again stated his business and when the fat man sneered at him Severus lost any semblance of patience. He whipped out his wand and threatened the oversized Muggle with it and smirked as the fat slug went from purple to white before Severus could blink. The fool of a Muggle pointed upstairs and told him which room was Harry's. He didn't understand how the boy could live with these people. When he reached Harry's bedroom door and saw the locks he was determined to have it out with Albus about the boy's living conditions. When, upon unlocking the bolts, he saw the black eye Harry sported, he vowed to get Harry out himself. 

 

The meeting was a routine affair and Lupin was the one to return Harry to his relatives along with Moody and Tonks. Before the werewolf left, Severus had a discreet word with him about those Muggles. The next two days went quietly for Severus until he was called, whereupon things went speedily downhill for Severus - the Dark Lord had sufficient proof to execute him as a spy. In true 'Dark Lord’ style they played with Severus for several hours before locking him in a cell to be killed the next morning. Only a timely intervention from Fawkes spared Severus from that fate. Once he regained consciousness, he found himself in the school's Hospital Wing with a worried Albus by his side. Albus had told him that the Dark Lord broke through Harry's metal barriers and was taunting both he and Albus by saying that he had killed Severus. Severus offered to visit Harry and work on his Occlumency skills some more once the medi-witch allowed him to leave. 

 

That proved to be the turning point in his relationship with Harry. When he arrived once again at the Muggle house a prune-faced woman, who demanded monetary compensation for taking care of the freak all those years, granted him entrance. Ignoring the woman, he made his way upstairs, and snarled when he noticed the locks were once again engaged. Once he entered the room his blood boiled again when he noticed Harry had another black eye, but that was quickly pushed to the wayside as the younger wizard stared at him in shock.

 

Before Severus could say a word he found himself with an armful of hysterical teenager. Harry had buried his head in Severus' chest and was mumbling something over and over. Harry sounded to Severus like he was saying 'I thought I lost you forever', but Severus wasn't sure. Severus tilted Harry's head up and was astonished to see tears freely flowing down the young man's face. It was then Severus realized Harry's feelings were as deep as his own. An idea began to form and for the first time in many years leapt before he thought. 

 

"Harry, I know you want to leave here," Severus had said. "I believe I have a way for you do so with out any interference from Albus or the Ministry. It's not something we should take lightly, especially since it will be something irrevocable."

 

"What is it you're suggesting?" 

 

"I'm suggesting that we bond. That way, your relatives will no longer have any control over you, nor will Albus, or those fools at the Ministry. There are no divorces in the wizarding world, Harry; you'll have to think carefully before you answer."

 

"What does bonding entail?"

 

'Finally I've managed to get him to think first,' Severus thought to himself. "Bonding is a form of marriage reserved for couples of the same gender. Unlike the Muggle world, same-sex pairings are accepted, and very common amongst wizards. Like the traditional marriages, the two people bonding are required to pledge their lives to each other for as long as they live."

 

"What would happen to you if they find out?"

 

"I'm not sure which action they'll take. They could just leave us be, though I highly doubt they will. Most likely they'll do their best to separate us."

 

"What you mean, is they'll throw you in Azkaban and annul everything on the grounds I was under the Imperius Curse."

 

"That was a very astute deduction. Unfortunately that's exactly what the Ministry will think. Especially Fudge. The man hates you as much as the Dark Lord does."

 

"Is there any form of bonding that will prove I entered into this willingly? I know there are different forms of marriage in the wizarding world. Mrs. Weasley mentioned them several times while Ginny and I were in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place at Christmas."

 

"There are several types, but the most binding of them is a soul bond. There isn't any way to annul that type of bond and they won't be able to separate us for long with it in place. Would you be willing to tie yourself to me for the rest of your life? Think carefully before you answer."

 

Severus was rewarded with an intense penetrating stare for several long minutes from the young wizard before him and then slim youth threw himself at Severus for the second time that morning.

 

"Yes, I will bond with you. I love you. I just didn't know how much I did until I thought I lost you." Harry declared in a shaky voice, his face buried against Severus' chest.

 

Severus blinked in disbelief, and was grateful that Harry couldn't see his face at that moment. He never expected to be on the receiving end of those words and the intensity of those emotions required - no, demanded - a reply.

 

"I love you too, Harry, but if you ever tell anyone I've said that I'll feed you to the Giant Squid with your best robes on." 

 

Harry chuckled a bit and released him, while lighting the room with his smile. He couldn't help it; he just had to smile in return. He quickly set his masks back in place before addressing Harry once more.

 

"I need to make the arrangements. I'll have to call in a few favours, but I'll be back in a few hours. Pack your belongings and, for Merlin's sake, clear your mind. We don't want the Dark Lord getting wind of our plans."

 

"Yes, Severus. How long do you thing you'll be?"

 

"Four or five hours. Keep out of your relatives' way if you can until then."

 

"I will. See you soon."

 

Severus closed the small gap between them, leaning forward to press his lips against Harry's in a chaste kiss. The moment they connected, their magic sparked and flared. Severus had to restrain himself from deepening the kiss. He steeled himself and pulled away, taking a few moments to gaze at his soon to be bonded. The green-eyed wizard's face showed a myriad of emotion. Love, lust, worry and excitement played across the young man's features. Severus forced himself to move further away and not dive in for another taste.

 

"Try not to get into any trouble, Potter," he said and pivoted on his heel to sweep out of the room with his usual long strides.

 

Harry's laughter was ringing out behind him as he headed down the stairs. He only paused to inform Harry's Aunt that he'd be returning to retrieve her nephew and breezed out the door. Once out the door and clear of the wards, he apparated to the first of many stops he needed to make that afternoon. He quickly purchased dress robes for Harry, made arrangements with his house-elves for when they returned and began the hunt for those people in the Ministry who owed him favours.

 

Everything was much too easy to set up for Severus' comfort, and those people in the Ministry whose families he saved were piteously eager to help him. They were surprised when they found out who he was bonding to, but the made the paperwork go through quickly and quietly and they all volunteered to be witness for the ceremony so there wouldn't be any questions of legitimacy. The wizard that bonded the couples in the little village near his family's ancestral home was more than willing to perform the ritual to bond them, and Severus headed back to Privet Drive to rescue Harry from his oh so loving relations.

 

Despite his misgivings earlier in the day, there were no ambushes or surprise guests in the little hall hidden in a tiny village in Wales. The ceremony went quickly and smoothly with no hesitation on Harry's part. Like a true Gryffindor he leapt in with both feet and since Severus was there to catch him this time, he didn't mind at all. When the ancient wizard performing the ceremony cast the spell to tie their souls together, there was a blinding light, which made the old man laugh with joy. It was solid proof, according to the giddy wizard, that the bond was incredibly tight and they would always be aware of each other as a result. The rest of the formalities went smoothly and they portkeyed back to his manor to deal with the last, most intimate part of the bonding.

 

Severus jerked his thoughts out of the past before he ended up with a problem he couldn't deal with satisfactorily on his own. He glanced at the clock on the mantle and noticed it was long after dinner. Once again he turned his attention inward and sought out the bond. He could tell Harry was alive, but very weak. He tried to figure out where Harry was hurt and only detected numbness everywhere, which indicated that his mate was dosed with a strong painkilling potion, a fact that alarmed Severus quite a bit. Severus was pulled from his trance by a voice from his fireplace as he was deciding to make a trip to the infirmary after curfew. He looked up to see Minerva's head in the now green flames.

 

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Severus, but Albus has called an emergency staff meeting in ten minutes."

 

"What's the problem now?" Severus asked irritably.

 

"I don't know, Severus, Albus wouldn't say. I suppose it may be about the battle on the pitch."

 

"Most likely it'll be plans to deal with Potter's fan club as they storm the castle," he told her with a sneer.

 

Minerva gave him an extremely sour look before her head left the fire with a pop. He chuckled deep in his chest at her reaction and couldn't wait until the End of Term feast when he and Harry would end their ruse. Severus took a few moments to begin a flow of energy from himself to Harry so the younger would have the extra resources to heal. That was an unexpected, but beneficial aspect of their bond. They had stumbled upon that useful tool when Severus had a particularly bad night at the end of the Dark Lord's wand. Harry unknowingly fed him energy and helped cushion the effects of the Cruciatus Curse. With the added energy from his bonded he recovered from his injuries twice as fast, much to Poppy's surprise.

 

Once Severus had established the flow of energy to Harry, he schooled his features and stormed out of his rooms in a flurry of robes. As he walked through the halls, there were groups of students scattered along the hallways in groups of five or six. At first Severus glared and took house points, but as he encountered more groups he began over hearing whispered conversations. The only word he heard sounded like 'pregnant'. He was in a hurry, and didn't bother to try and eavesdrop on the conversations as he headed to the staff room.

 

Severus noted that only Minerva and the Astronomy teacher had arrived before him. He quickly claimed his habitual spot in the shadows by the fireplace and ignored his two colleagues, taking a few moments to clear his mind and reinforce his mental walls. Surely Harry's condition would be discussed, and though he was as anxious as the others were, he couldn't allow any slippage, especially in front of Albus. As he set his barriers, the rest of the staff trickled in with minutes to spare before Albus swept in with Poppy in tow. Albus' face was grim and Poppy looked very worried and angry. Severus wondered what the problem was that could cause both of them to be like this.

 

"I'm sorry to disturb all of you from a well deserved rest or celebration, but this matter cannot wait until morning."

 

"That's all right Albus. Before you start, could you tell us how Harry's doing?" Filius asked with a concerned look as the rest of the staff nodded or murmured for news.

 

"Yes, Poppy will fill you in on Harry's condition and her examination results tie into why I've called this meeting." Albus replied, all signs of his ever-present twinkle long gone. Severus braced himself for some very bad news. "Poppy, if you will."

 

"Mr. Potter's fall, despite everyone's efforts to the contrary, caused some very severe injuries. Both his back and skull were broken as well as several ribs. Also his collarbones, left arm, wrist, and hand, and both legs were broken. All the broken bones were mended, and thankfully his spinal cord wasn't severed, but it's inflamed. I don't believe there will be any lasting damage. There are extensive internal injuries, and those will take longer to heal. His magic was already at a minimum because of the battle, and the rest is being used by his body to stabilize his system." Poppy gave the room a quiet smile of reassurance before she continued her report. "I've placed him in a healing coma so he doesn't stress his body by thrashing around. I expect him to be unconscious for four weeks, give or take a few days. However, I discovered something, in the course of my examination, which could prove to be a problem." Severus was becoming worried as Poppy dithered. Grateful that the shadows hid his distress, he lashed out at the nurse.

 

"Spit it out already, woman. Some of us still have things to do," he snapped, causing everyone in the room to jump. Albus gave him a look of reproach as he encouraged the medi-witch to continue with a gesture.

 

"Alright, Severus." Poppy gave him a sour look before turning her attention to the room as a whole. “I discovered that Harry's three months pregnant. You don't need me to tell you the problems we now face." Poppy informed them in a huff. "Albus, I must return to the infirmary. I don't dare leave Harry unattended for long."

 

"Certainly, Poppy. Thank you for your report." Albus smiled gently at the medi-witch as she bustled out of the staff room. "Now, we can't keep this from the Ministry, since every medical facility is magically bound to relay the results of scans that show a pregnancy is in progress. Right now, we need to find the other parent before the Minister arrives. He'd love to get his hands on Harry, as you all know, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get rid of the young man permanently. Does anyone know who he's been seeing?"

 

All the staff shook their heads when they immediately couldn't name someone. Inwardly Severus was divided. He was in shock and despite that he was happy. Children, he decided long ago, were not in his future and once again Harry gifted him with something precious. Now all he had to do was protect his mate from the Ministry idiots and the remaining Death Eaters, who escaped justice or abandoned the cause when Albus' started gaining the upper hand in the conflict.

 

"Would each of the House Heads question their students? We must know who the other father is." Albus was sounding a bit desperate to Severus.

 

"Albus, are you certain you can stop the Ministry if we do discover who Harry's been seeing? It's been very hard to pin Harry's location down when he pulls his disappearing act on a regular basis. He could be seeing a different person every month." Severus gave a snort of amusement at the exasperation in Minerva's voice.

 

"I don't know if we can stop the Ministry in this situation. We may have to apprentice Harry and allow another family to take the child." Albus said regret laced his voice.

 

"That won't stop Fudge from auctioning him to the highest bidder. He'll just say it's a plot by you to break our laws. If Harry doesn't marry the father the Ministry will take him." Minerva replied, her voice starting to show some panic. "Harry also will not allow you to take the child from him."

 

Severus loosed another snort of amusement at the comment. Harry would bring the castle down on everyone's head if he ever caught wind of that suggestion. He knew Harry felt strongly about family and the younger wizard would fight tooth and nail to keep his child.

 

"What is it about this situation you find amusing, Severus?" Minerva snapped in irritation.

 

"Potter has finally gotten himself in trouble that even Albus can't rescue him from." As he said that, Severus realized that nothing short of a very public announcement from him would salvage this situation and it would be the only way he could protect Harry from Fudge and his stooges. "He'll finally be getting what he deserves." Severus told the now glaring witch with a sneer, though he meant it in a much different way then the others interpreted it.

 

"That's enough you two." Albus chided, narrow eyes indicating his displeasure. "Given the fact that Fudge will try to remove Harry from the school before he recovers, each of us will be standing guard at Harry's beside to prevent this - and I mean everyone, Severus. You can set your experiments up in the hospital wing during your watches."

 

"Albus, is it wise to be questioning the students like this? It's bound to start rumours." Filius squeaked into the silence.

 

"The rumours have already started, Filius." Severus replied with a sneer.

 

"In that light, please begin searching, Filius." Albus gave Severus a faintly irritated glance before continuing. "These are the schedules for guard duty." Albus passed the parchments out to the staff. "Many of Harry's housemates have volunteered to help and I've integrated them in groups of three to five depending on their skills." 

 

Severus at first was aggravated, since the guards would prevent him from visiting Harry. Now that he had been conscripted to perform, he'd get some time to spend with Harry. Thankfully the ones scheduled prior to him were the last Weasleys in the school, Granger and Longbottom. They would be easier to get rid of. Severus left the staff room and made his way to his office. His potions cabinet was hidden behind a set of shelves, which were filled with jars of specimens. After a few moments, the wards were down and the secret doors were open as Severus rummaged for the energizing potions he was sure he had made earlier in the year.

 

After five minutes of searching he exited with five vials of the potion. Severus frowned at the vials before turning to lock and ward the storage room. He didn't have enough of the potion, and he needed to make more to help him get through the next couple of weeks. Feeding Harry the extra energy the younger man needed was going to tax him and he knew he wasn't going to be excused from teaching. Once he made sure everything was locked he entered the secret passage at the back of his office that led to his quarters. He removed his robes, draping them over the back of Harry's chair, before making his way to his private laboratory to brew more of the energizing potion he was desperately going to need for the next few weeks, clad in the trousers and shirt he'd recently taken to wearing beneath his robes.

 

When his potion was cooled and bottled, thankful it wasn't a multi-day task, Severus retreated to his bedroom. He kicked off his shoes, set his alarm and lay down fully dressed. Severus closed his eyes and concentrated on the bond, ensuring that the flow of energy to Harry was intact. Once assured of this, he increased the flow before clearing his mind and coaxing he body into sleep.

 

A loud buzzing sound intruded on Severus' slumber, and the black-haired wizard restrained himself from smashing the offending appliance to the floor. He blearily searched for the alarm clock and missed several times before successfully ending the noise. When the alarm was finally turned off, consciousness returned quickly for Severus, especially once he remembered where he needed to be. A quick glance informed him he barely had time to either shower or eat, and the former spy chose the shower. He would ask that house-elf Harry was friends with to prepare him something, once he had evicted the Gryffindors from the Hospital Wing. He quickly showered and changed into clean clothes, before gathering the five vials of energizing potion. He made his way to his door as he stowed the vials in the specially sewn pockets of his robes, but before he opened the door to leave he turned back and glanced at the small set of shelves reserved for Harry's books. It took him a few moments to locate the battered book the younger man was reading, one of his cousin's cast offs, and pocketed it to read to him during the long night ahead.

 

Now ready to begin his stint in the Hospital Wing, as he made his way through the halls he took the opportunity to flush several couples from the crevices they stashed themselves in to snog each other senseless, in the process removing copious amounts of house points. For the first time since he became the Head of Slytherin, he removed points from his house. Everyone was going to suffer his displeasure at this situation and his actions today will guarantee little trouble from his house in the coming days.

 

Severus reached the doors to the Hospital Wing, pausing to reinforce his mental defenses and school his features into its cold, disdainful mask, something that had been increasingly difficult for him to do since Harry had become a permanent fixture in his life. That task done, he shoved the double doors open and stalked into the room. His eyes searched until he found the bed where Harry was lying, and saw two of the students guarding the bed, Granger doing a sweep of the left hand side of the room while the youngest Weasley did the same on the right. The two young women were paying special attention to the windows as they did so. It took a mere breath for him to survey the room and in that same miniscule span of time those four students turned and fired various hexes at him. Years of dodging the hexes of his jealous compatriots in the Dark Lord's ranks enabled him to successfully void or block the incoming hexes. All four students paled when they noticed who was standing in the doorway, though none of them apologized for their actions. Severus sneered at the lot and moved further into the room.

 

"Your shift is over. Get out." Severus glared at the students. Inwardly he was impressed with their response to his entrance, though they would never hear it from his lips.

 

"Madam Pomfrey left directions on the night stand, Professor." Granger informed him as she pulled the Weasley boy by his sleeve towards the door. "Everything's been quiet, and Madam Pomfrey said to contact her if anything you can't deal with occurs. Goodnight, Professor."

 

Severus watched as they left the room, but noticed that Ms. Weasley wasn't with them.

 

"Ms. Granger, where is Ms. Weasley?"

 

"I'm putting the things we used during our stint away, Professor." The youngest Weasley answered from the very back of the room.

 

"You three will wait outside for her. Make sure you have everything, because you will not be able to return for it until my shift ends." He snarled at the three Gryffindors in his line of sight. He wanted them to leave so he could drop his barriers and be alone with his bond mate.

 

"Yes, Professor," the four voices answered in unison, and the three left the wing to wait for their fourth member.

 

While waiting for the Weasley girl to finish, he began to ward the windows and the entrances to the three secret passages that ringed the room. Once that task was done, Severus made his way to Harry's bed and watched his pale form in its forced sleep. He was jolted from his contemplation by the crack of a house-elf's arrival. When he turned to face the direction the sound came from, Ms. Weasley walked into sight with Harry's diminutive friend trailing behind.

 

"I didn't see you at dinner, Professor, and when the house-elves said you didn't call for anything I took the liberty of asking Dobby to make you some food and coffee."

 

"Dobby is making Professor Snape dinner. If Professor Snape needs anything, Professor Snape calls Dobby."

 

"Thank you, Ms. Weasley, Dobby." Severus unbent a bit in the wake of that kindness. "You both should be going. I need to finish the wards."

 

Severus observed the oddly dressed house-elf move to Harry's bedside and place one of his knobby hands on the young wizard's stomach and give a smile brighter than burning magnesium. The little creature then popped out of sight. As Severus was absorbed in watching the elf, the Weasley girl moved closer to Severus.

 

"Do you need an invitation to leave?" Severus growled when he noticed her proximity.

 

"No, but I had something I wanted to say before I left for the dorms," she replied in a quiet voice.

 

"Well spit it out, Ms. Weasley. I haven't all night to pay sole attention to you." Much to Severus' disgust, she gave a low laugh before responding.

 

"All right, Professor. Congratulations, sir." Severus' eyes widened in surprise as she spoke and jerked her head towards her brother's best friend. He rounded on the slight red head with all the anger he could muster.

 

"What did you say, Ms. Weasley?" He had to give her credit when she stood her ground, meeting his rage-filled eyes head on. Hopefully she wouldn't see the shock hidden behind the anger.

 

"I'm positive you heard what I said, Professor."

 

"Why do you think the child's mine, Ms. Weasley?" Severus made sure he maintained a level of menace in his voice, which she ignored completely.

 

"I've seen you and Harry in that little alcove by the lake, you know, the one surrounded by boulders." 

 

"How? I warded the area to alert us to human presence." Severus gave up his act and waited for the girl's answer.

 

"I bet you didn't ward it against animals or Animagi."

 

"You're an Animagus?" Severus asked with a start while mentally berating himself for only warding against Minerva's Animagus form.

 

"Didn't you know? Most of the core group of Dumbledore's Army are, even Neville." A hint of surprise coloured her voice.

 

"No I didn't. Anything Harry was learning to protect himself or any of you was to be kept from me. If I didn't know I couldn't tell under duress." Severus sighed in relief that the worst part of the war was over. "I believe Minerva must be ecstatic that so many of her house successfully transformed."

 

"She doesn't know. We taught ourselves from some books and a journal Sirius had written with Harry's dad detailing how they went through the process."

 

"Really, are you lot registering?"

 

"Once the majority of Voldemort's inner circle is caught we will."

 

"Good. What's Harry's form?" Curiosity was obvious in his voice and cringed internally at his lack of control.

 

"Something quite appropriate for Harry," she replied with a laugh. "He's a mongoose."

 

Severus couldn't suppress the snicker that surfaced at the revelation. The Dark Lord wouldn't have seen that one coming.

 

"Professor?" She was hesitant, but continued on when she noticed she had his attention. "Why didn't you two wait until school ended or you were bonded before using the potion? You are going to bond with him, aren't you?"

 

"Ms. Weasley, come here." Severus gestured towards himself and she hesitantly move closer.

 

"Ginny."

 

"Excuse me?" 

 

"Call me Ginny. You know you're not going to escape mum, and she won't tolerate you calling everyone by their surnames."

 

"All right, Ginny. Now get over here." Severus allowed a little annoyance to creep into his voice as he grabbed her hand, placing it over his left hand where the charmed ring he received during the bonding ceremony resided.

 

Ginny's eyes widened when she felt the ring, and Severus watched with amusement as she moved to touch the ring's mate on Harry's hand. Once the two rings were revealed to her she gently lifted Harry's hand to examine the ring closely. A speculative look crossed the young woman's features after a brief spark of recognition lit her features. A slow smiled dawned on her face as she turned to Severus.

 

"You didn't use a potion did you?" Severus' response was a shake of his head. "I hope you don’t mind if I tell my parents to be here when Fudge and his team of idiots show up. They'll be able to help immensely."

 

"If they think they can help when Fudge rears his foolish head. I trust them more than I do some others I've worked with. Now Ginny, you'd better leave before your brother comes in and accuses me of using you as potion ingredients." Severus allowed a smirk of humour to cross his features as the young redhead sprinted for the door with a whispered 'Goodnight'.

 

Once the infirmary doors closed behind Ginny, Severus completed casting the wards he started upon his arrival. The wards to protect and warn should buy Severus enough time to either defend Harry or call for reinforcements. If all went well, Fudge wouldn't be stupid enough to try and take Harry from the Castle, but Severus didn't take much stock on hope. Fudge will try and Lucius, despite his sudden defection to Dumbledore's side, will be behind the attempt using his insidious persuasive ability and gold to get the fool to act. Severus had no doubts about Lucius' intentions and loyalties. He'll do anything to kill Harry in revenge. Lucius' world came crumbling down when Harry managed, time and time again, to escape from the Dark Lord's clutches and on several of those occasions Lucius was the one who paid the price for the trap's failure.

 

Severus moved the bedside chair closer to Harry's bed, making sure he had a clear view of the entire ward, and sat down. He softly huffed in annoyance, as he settled into a comfortable position in the chair that he didn't demand the youngest Weasley's silence then shrugged it off. The Weasleys were loyal to a fault, with exception of their third boy, and wouldn't betray Harry or a fellow order member. Ms. Weasley, no Ginny, wouldn't tell anyone unless Harry's safety was at stake. Content with his reasoning Severus settled down, increased the energy flow to Harry, removed the energizing potions from his robes, opened Harry's book to the first page and began to read it out loud.

 

As Severus read the hand not holding the paperback moved to clasp one of Harry's limp ones. Every few minutes he paused in his reading to sweep the room and twice he stopped to drink the energizing potion when he felt his resources flagging. Towards the end of his shift he felt his instincts shrill in alarm. Calmly he put the book away and silently surged to his feet with his wand in hand. Cautiously he looked out the window nearest Harry's bed, thanking Poppy in his mind for putting Harry into the corner where there wasn't a window. He didn't see anything on Harry's side of the room. Moving in the shadows he crossed the infirmary to the other bank of windows and cautiously looked out. On the sill there were two insects. One a fat beetle with markings around the antennae that looked familiar to Severus. The other was a spider, a tarantula to be exact. Severus cleared them off by pushing the wards he built on the windows outward until they were anchored on the outside sills. The two insects were launched away from the window and fell into the darkness below. 

 

Severus looked cautiously out the window and for several long moments he didn't see anything, but just as he began to turn away he saw a group of five shadows scurry away from the castle. As he was readying to sound the alarm someone else did. Moments after the alarm sounded Severus felt building warmth in his pocket. He fished into the pocket and pulled out a hand-sized mirror and looked at it. Albus' face stared back at him.

 

"Severus, Minerva spotted some intruders in the castle as she was heading to the infirmary. Please stay put until Minerva finishes her sweep of the lake area. The others are searching the grounds."

 

"Of course, Headmaster. There were five people leaving the shadows beneath the infirmary windows. I believe two are insect Animagi. Tell Minerva 'four feet'." Severus replaced the mirror in his pocket ignoring Albus' puzzled look.

 

Severus checked the wards and added a few more protections on the wing and altered them to allow Minerva through in her animagus form. Severus took the opportunity to return to his bond mate's side. He watched the pale figure breathe and gently rested his hand against Harry's cheek. Severus stood there for several minutes just watching his mate and stroking his cheek with his thumb before noting the time. Minerva would be there soon and Severus didn't wish to shock her when she arrived. Albus will be annoyed enough with him when all his said and done without the added insult of sending his Deputy back to St. Mungo's.

 

"You better wake up soon, Harry. We need to deter Fudge and Malfoy from interfering with our lives. You're going to have one hell of a shock when you awake." Severus mumbled uncharacteristically into the still air of the infirmary as he reluctantly removed his hand from Harry's face. "Hurry and get well, love. I miss you." Severus swiftly bent forward and gave the younger wizard a gentle kiss on his lips. 

 

Severus spent the rest of his shift pacing the length of the wing in agitation, pausing only to take another dose of the energizing potion. Occasionally he glanced over at Harry, but didn't move closer to the bed. Minerva moved very quickly in her feline form and it wouldn't do for her to see him hovering over Harry. As if his thinking about her had summoned her he felt the wards alerting him to someone's presence. The warning barely gave him time to turn around before the Hospital Wing's doors opened and McGonagall's tabby form slunk through the doors. With a pop she transformed back into her normal self and closed the door quietly. 

 

"Did you catch any of them?" Severus asked with a touch of venom in his voice.

 

"No we didn't. It was only a fluke that I caught sight of one of the intruders on my way out of my rooms. If it wasn't for the castle's tendency to change on a whim, I wouldn't have seen him." Minerva's anger was only noticeable to someone who knew her well and Severus hadn't seen her this angry in years. Her eyes flashed and her lips were pulled back in a snarl. It took her a few moments to calm herself, which she accomplished with a twitch of her shoulders.

 

"They'll try again, especially if they think they know the guard shifts." Severus replied irritably. "They may send the two insect animagi back to scout."

 

"You're most likely correct, Severus." Minerva slowly walked through the wing adding additional wards to those he already cast. "Would you leave your wards up for me?" Severus nodded and she turned to glance at Harry. "I hope he'll tell us who the other father is," she said softly, clearly not expecting a reply from Severus.

 

"He's a Gryffindor, Minerva, and they will protect someone whether they deserve it or not. Besides, Potter is the most stubborn brat I've ever had the misfortune to meet. He'll be obstinate just to drive Fudge mad." Severus replied absently, making Minerva look up in surprise.

 

He jerked his head up and glared at his older colleague when she chuckled. She waved goodbye while still laughing and then bustled over to Harry's bed. As she leaned over to touch him Severus quickly left the ward; he'd blow the whole thing by hexing her for touching his Harry. That wouldn't do at all, especially given how tired he was from allowing his magical energy to flow to Harry.

 

Severus arrived at his rooms without encountering a single soul. Severus stumbled in a daze to his bed as a surge of fatigue swept over him. He barely closed his eyes before sleep dragged him into darkness.

 

The next morning found Severus very groggy and the energizing potion didn't help any despite the added assistance of a pepper up potion. At that moment he decided to pull out the pop quizzes he kept in case he needed a break. There was no way he was going to survive teaching today. If he were lucky he would acclimatize to the constant feeling of fatigue. When he arrived at breakfast, he heard all the whispered rumours as he walked between the tables. He knew right then that he had no choice; he had to claim the child and Harry as his in front of everyone in the Great Hall or Harry's reputation would be ruined for all time. Not that he cared if Harry wasn't able to find employment in the future, Harry and he had more than enough money between them, and he'd rather keep Harry close by in case the fanatics tried to get revenge.

 

All day the whispered conversations followed him everywhere he went and they wore away at his fragile control of his temper. Throughout the day he took points from all the houses for any little thing and as a result had everyone afraid to breathe around him. Thankfully he didn't need to deal with boiled over, flying or exploding cauldrons. All through the day the fatigue plagued him and he was beginning to think bookwork would be a good idea for the next few weeks.

 

The rest of the week was a repetition of the first day. The only thing that changed was the times he stood guard in the infirmary and the number of detentions he handed out. By the time Harry woke from his coma the castle was going to look like it did a millennium ago. The second week was a repeat of the first and Severus was ready to drop. The ever-increasing pull on his energy by Harry was beyond Severus' ability to compensate. The fifteenth day after the Dark Lord's defeat, Severus didn't even bother to leave the infirmary after his shift. He crawled into the nearest bed and quickly fell into the deepest sleep of his life. Not even a full-scale battle in the halls would wake him. The sixteenth day he slept through when no one was willing to wake him for classes. 

 

Finally on the seventeenth day, just before dawn, Harry woke up and Severus knew the moment he felt the change through the bond. Once he felt that change he was instantly awake and looking bleary eyed across the room to see Harry fumbling for his now useless glasses. He felt Harry's search for him through the bond and the relief as the younger man assured himself of Severus' continued existence. Their eyes met across the ward, but Severus didn't get a chance to say a word because Poppy immediately occupied Harry's attention. Severus felt Harry's annoyance and completely agreed with his mate.

 

Severus watched as Poppy started telling Harry everything that happened from the time he destroyed the Dark Lord. Severus felt Harry's relief turn to horror, then dread, and then shock mixed with happiness and a touch of worry. Severus guessed that Poppy had told him about the baby and figured that he was worried about his reaction to their impending offspring. Poppy dropped something and as she bent to retrieve the object Severus flashed Harry a smile along with reassurance through their bond.

 

The noise of approaching footsteps made Severus replace his mask and hide his emotions. Albus entered the wing and made a beeline to Harry's bed. Severus couldn't hear what they were talking about, but he felt Harry getting increasingly angry as Albus continued to talk to him. Much to Severus surprise a surge of rage vibrated down the bond. He then remembered Albus' plan to apprentice Harry and let someone else raise the baby. Severus couldn't suppress the laughter at Albus' sudden backing up as Harry told him what he thought about that little plan and did his best to stifle it behind his hand.

 

As Harry's temper raged the monitoring charms Poppy placed on him began to shrill. The mid-witch scurried to Harry's bedside and began plying the young wizard with a calming potion while verbally flaying Albus. Severus feigned sleep when he saw Albus backing out of the curtained area with Poppy following.

 

"When will you be releasing Harry?" Albus asked quietly when he saw Severus' supine form.

 

"By lunch time tomorrow I believe. I want to make sure he gets a decent breakfast before Fudge arrives. I'm going to leave the monitoring charms in place. He's at risk for a miscarriage because of the fall. I'm still shocked he recovered so quickly." Poppy answered just as quietly.

 

After giving Albus enough time to return to his office, Severus slipped out of the bed. Poppy was still fussing over Harry, who was now sleeping, and he quietly left the wing through the secret passage that led to the dungeons. When he arrived at his rooms he headed straight to his bedroom and changed out of the clothes he wore for the past two days. He settled at his desk to do his routine slaughter of student papers. The rest of his day he followed the same schedule he normally kept on Saturdays while his nerves slowly acted up. It was one thing to sneak Harry away from his relatives, but to admit he did so to Albus was another matter all together. Once he caught up on his marking he checked the clock and decide to brave eating dinner in the Great Hall. He spent the entire meal glaring at the students and making contingency plans. When he retired for the night he downed a vial of Dreamless Sleep and knew no more.

 

Severus, upon waking in the morning, opted not to eat breakfast with the rest of the school and began to while away the morning in his lab. When lunchtime arrived he made his way to the Great Hall, but instead of going to the head table, he hid himself in the deep shadows at the back of the hall near the Gryffindor table. After a few minutes wait Harry arrived with the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors, with the exception of Weasley. He watched as Harry sat and was surrounded by the rest of his escort. His bonded casually glanced around the room pausing when he looked into the corner and saw him then moved on to survey the rest of the room. Harry helped himself to some stew, and barely had two mouthfuls when Fudge burst through the doors with several Aurors in tow. Albus intercepted the Minister and they argued furiously before approaching the Gryffindor table.

 

"Harry, you must tell us who the father of your child is." Albus told the young wizard and, from what Severus could see, practically begging Harry with his eyes to give up the information. Harry simply shook his head no.

 

"If you will not speak up then you'll have to come with us!" Fudge roared with a triumphant edge to his voice.

 

"No I don't. The father will step forward when he is ready to do so." Harry replied calmly into the dead silence of the hall. Over at the Slytherin table there was a smattering of snickers.

 

Before Fudge could roar again the doors burst open once more and a surge of redheaded people stormed into the Great Hall. The entire Weasley clan surrounded Harry, who stood up to continue his confrontation with Fudge, and Molly wasted no time as she dove right into the fray. Fudge and Molly started to viciously argue and it took the combined efforts of Minerva and Hagrid to keep the fiery tempered woman from doing something irreversible to the odious Minister. 

 

Fudge on the other hand was starting to get angry and tried to get an Auror to arrest her, but the entire Weasley clan and Gryffindor table drew their wands and aimed at the Aurors surrounding the Minister. As one the group of six men took a step away from the aggravated group.

 

"Now see here, you spoiled brat. You are pregnant and unmarried. By our laws you will be taken into custody and given to a family that can afford to keep you." Fudge was reaching to grab Harry, who slapped his hand away and drew his own wand.

 

"There's no way I'm going with you or anyone else. I said that the child's father will step forward when he is ready. I am not going anywhere especially not with him." Harry pointed at the doors, which were opened revealing the form of Lucius Malfoy.

 

"You will go with who I tell you to!" Fudge spat. "And don't tell me your guardians won't allow it. I know they don't want you." Fudge's triumphant look returned, but turned to puzzlement when Harry laughed in his face.

 

"The Dursley's aren't my guardians anymore." The shocked silence surrounding him was pure gold.

 

Severus decided enough was enough and slowly left the shadows. As he did so Lucius handed the Minister a huge sack of gold and leered at Harry. Severus increased his pace while Harry glared insolently back at Lucius. As he stalked down the aisle between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables he heard muttered insults from the students at those tables. Lucius noticed his arrival and smirked when Severus drew near.

 

"Good afternoon, Severus. Here to see the show?" Lucius drawled.

 

"Lucius. I've been waiting for today for the past seven years." Severus hissed with false malice. "It's about time the brat got what he deserved."

 

“That is what's going to happen today. I can not wait to put my new possession on display." Cold grey eyes sparkled with anticipation as he watched Fudge and Albus arguing.

 

Severus watched the scene cautiously and caught sight of Harry's sneer directed at Lucius. He noticed that Lucius wasn't impressed and noted the other man wasn't going to let the look go unchallenged.

 

"I wouldn't take that attitude with me, boy. We'll be spending quite a bit of time together and if you wish it to be somewhat pleasant you'll adjust that attitude."

 

"I'm not going anywhere with you. My partner will be here shortly." Harry replied in the same calm tones he used early. Severus felt the young man's amusement though the bond and decided to intervene before Lucius began throwing hexes.

 

"Such faith, Potter. Hasn't the past seven years taught you anything?" Severus stalked slowly to Harry, pushing the Weasleys aside as he moved closer. "Where's your knight in shining armour? Perhaps he's abandoned you." Though his voice was menacing and cruel he knew that Harry could feel and see that it wasn't directed at him.

 

"My knight in shining armour? Not likely. My partner believes shiny armour is an invitation to become a target. It's not his style." Harry's amused reply rang through the hall. The students were becoming agitated now that their hated Professor had entered the fray.

 

"Does he know how badly you need a keeper? You couldn't cross the room without risking your neck." Severus waited a few moments before wielding another barb. "So, Potter, how does it feel to be in water so deep you can't save yourself?"

 

"Why do you care, you bloody great grease-ball." Harry answered intending to give Severus the needed ammunition for his next move.

 

"You will treat me with the respect I deserve, Potter!" Severus roared and drew his wand while closing the distance between them. Harry's wand was already in hand as he approached.

 

"Try not to damage him too much, Severus. I want to get my money's worth out of him." Lucius told him with an ever-widening smirk as the roar of protest from the students erupted around them.

 

“Don't worry, Lucius. I won't hurt him much." Severus responded with a feral grin. He was looking forward to shocking the masses. "I've been waiting to do this for a while now, Potter."

 

Harry feigned a glare of hatred as Severus closed the distance between them rapidly. Before anyone could react Severus lunged at the younger wizard. He vaguely heard Albus' ringing 'Severus, stop'. Instead of reaching out to throttle Harry, like everyone expected, his hands went behind the green-eyed wizard. One hand cupped the back of Harry's head and the other went to the small of the younger wizard's back as he swept down to capture Harry's lips in a demanding kiss. Harry surrendered to the kiss, allowing Severus to explore his mouth while his smaller frame melted against Severus'. Severus felt Harry's arms slowly sliding up his chest so he could lock his arms behind Severus' neck. Stunned silence rang out in the hall, accented with dropped goblets and silverware. He dimly heard Ginny's whispered 'Finite Incantatem' and felt the magic concealing their rings drift away. Molly and Arthur gave equally surprised gasps once the ring on Harry's hand materialized.

 

"What is the meaning of this?" Fudge roared once again. Severus and Harry slowly and reluctantly pulled apart so Severus could answer.

 

"It's quite simple, Minister. The child's mine and you will leave my bonded and I alone." Severus answered in a 'don't mess with me' tone.

 

"There is no way I'm going to allow the Boy-Who-Lived to bond with a Death Eater."

 

"I haven't been a Death Eater for over twenty years. I was a spy, one that you owe your pathetic life to." Severus snapped, his eyes flashing dangerously.

 

"Besides, Minister, they're already bonded." A new voice entered the conversation. Severus looked over his should to see three of the men who paid their debt to him this past summer.

 

"What do you mean by that, Dooley?" A muscle beneath Fudge's eye began to twitch.

 

"We three," a gesture included his two companions, "witnessed the ceremony and Mr. Potter went willingly into the bond."

 

"There's also the small matter that Harry and Severus are soul mates and before you ask, they have identical rings to the pair Molly and I wear." Arthur quietly added. "Do you really wish to suffer the consequences of interfering with this bond, Fudge?"

 

Severus took a moment to survey the room. All the students, as well as the staff, were stunned. Albus' slack-jawed look was immensely satisfying, and he noted that Lucius had already fled the building. A touch on his shoulder caught his attention and he turned to see Molly standing close by.

 

"Why don't you bring Harry downstairs to rest?" Molly Weasley suggested with her usual motherly air. "We'll take care of Fudge. Now go rest!"

 

Severus and Harry quickly left through a side door and made their way into the dungeons. When they arrived they found a meal set out for them by Dobby. Once their repast was devoured they made their way into Severus' bedroom. The stress of the day left Harry with little reserves and the younger wizard began to doze before Severus could climb into the bed. The both drifted off to sleep secure in the knowledge that their friends would defend their union, despite them keeping it hidden all this time.

 

The school year progressed with several attempts by Fudge to interfere with Severus' and Harry's life. The Minister tried passing several laws that would have taken their unborn child away, through the efforts of Arthur Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt those attempts failed. Despite Fudge's efforts to the contrary, Harry thrived and the continued support of the Hogwarts staff and the Weasleys went a long way to keeping Harry oblivious to the worst of the wizarding world's reaction to their bonding. Not a morning went by without Severus receiving at least one Howler cursing him for corrupting Harry, not that he cared about public opinion. Severus survived several long months of mood swings and odd cravings by his mate. 

 

June swiftly arrived and Harry spent his last month of school confined to the Hospital Wing, much to the younger man's disgust. Severus spent every waking moment he wasn't teaching with him. One night, the eve of Summer Solstice to be exact, Severus woke to the shrilling of Poppy's alarm charms. Severus was beside himself with worry as Harry's body tried to expel the baby through an aperture that didn't exist. Severus fussed and fretted so much that Poppy was threatening to hex him if he didn't stay out of her way. Severus had no doubts that she would do so despite the huge smile on her face. She was obviously enjoying the extremely rare show of emotion on his usually stoic face, a habit he still kept. Severus stood at the head of the bed holding Harry's hands as the pain of contractions wracked his body and sponging the sweat off his head between them. While his attention was on his mate, Poppy placed Harry in a partial body bind and began prepping his stomach for a caesarian. Severus was so focused on Harry he didn't realize the medi-witch was handing him a vial of pain potion for him to give to Harry. 

 

Severus helped Harry drink the potion between contractions and when the potion took affect Poppy began sterilizing the uncovered portion of Harry's body. With a rapid casting of spells Poppy had opened his mate's body and began carefully removing the baby from within. Faster than Severus thought possible, Poppy had the baby out and the umbilical cord cut and was handing the child to Minerva so it could be cleaned and clothed. By the time Severus returned his attention to Poppy she already had the incision closed and the entire area cleaned. Oddly Severus didn't hear the baby crying and was about to panic when she spoke up.

 

"Relax, Severus. Everything is fine. Not all babies cry when they are born. Your child took his first breath without any assistance. He'll be fine."

 

Before Severus could thank her, she was gone, and Minerva came in with the swaddled infant. She laid the baby in a weary Harry's arms and watched with fondness as the younger man looked at his child with a joy few have seen on his face.

 

“Congratulations. You've got a bonny lad there, Severus." Minerva beamed at him. It was a while before she and Albus forgave him for his actions concerning Harry, though in Albus' case he was miffed about not being invited to the ceremony.

 

In the light of the predawn skies Severus left the hospital wing with a tiny bundle safely ensconced in his arms. He made his way cautiously down the stairs and walked slowly towards the Great Hall. When the doors to the Hall opened he saw the entire Hogwarts staff and Weasley clan waiting very impatiently for news. Severus walked in with a smile and showed off his pride and joy to the world.

 

** fin **


End file.
